The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret
by Mia lovely
Summary: Because did you honestly think a great wizard like Voldermort wasn't going to have a back-up plan?


**Disclaimer**: I do not own Harry Potter. Never, have. Never, will. I just always wanted to write a story using JK Rowling's (the genius mastermind) amazing characters. I apologize if in the beginning some of the characters seem out of character. It's my first time actually writing a Harry Potter fan-fiction.

**WARNING!**

I TRIED TO BE AS ORIGINAL WITH MY STORY PLOTS AS POSSIBLE. BUT THAT IS ALMOST VERTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE SINCE HARRY POTTER FAN-FICTIONS ARE WRITTEN ABOUT EVERY FIFTEEN SECONDS. I APOLOGIZE FOR ANY UNORIGINAL MARY-SUE I MIGHT HAVE CREATED IN THE PROSESS.

IN ADDITION, THE FIRST FEW CHAPTERS WILL INTRODUCE TONES OF NEW CHARACTERS YOU MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH. AS WELL AS FEATURING LOTS OF MINOR ROLE CHARACTERS FROM THE BOOK THAT NEVER GOT A REAL CHANCE TO SHINE. I'M A BIG FAN OF MINOR ROLE CHARACTERS, SO BE PREPARED TO READ A LOT ABOUT THEM HERE. MOST OF THEM HAVE BEEN ELEVATED FROM MINOR CHARACTERS TO LEADING CHARACTERS IN THIS STORY.

NOT ALL HARRY POTTER FAN-FICTION HAVE TO HAVE HARRY, HERMIONE, AND RON AS THE LEADING VOCALPOINT.

ENJOY!

**AN**: I have decided to use **Hugh Laurie** as Argyle Lockhart, and **Amanda Seyfried** as his not so innocent daughter Catherine Lockhart. Yes, there is a relation to Harry Potter's resident, forgetful mental case Gilderoy Lockhart. Oh, and I must not forget Daphne Greengrass, who hasn't been casted in any of the movies. **Camilla Belle** is playing her in my mind, but she can be any cute brunette you guys prefer. Maybe **Nina Doberv,** from Vampire Diaries?

PS. I apologize in advance for my bad grammar. I'm actually looking for somebody to beta read my stuff. SO if anybody thinks they are up for the task then drop me a line. I really do need some one I can bounce ideas off of.

**Summary**: Because did you honestly think a great wizard like Voldermort wasn't going to have a back-up plan?

**Pairing(s)**: [Romantic and non-romantic] Harry/Ginny, Ron/Hermione, Draco/Pansy, Blaise/Daphne, Harry/Draco, Lucius/Narcissa, Harry/OC, Hermione/OC, Blaise/OC, Draco/OC, Narcissa/OC, Fred/OC, George/OC

**Rated**: T for teens.

**The Lost Art of Keeping a Secret**

New characters:

Argyle Lockhart II

Catherine P. Lockhart

Pauline Beaulieu-Lockhart

Miss Mabel

Vivienne Periwinkle

* * *

**Swimming in a World Filled W****ith Sharks**

Part 1

**Date**: July 28, 1996

**Location**: South of France, Beaulieu Summer Estate

The view of the morning sky was breath taking as two early riders cruised through the French countryside on horse back. Going nowhere in particular, the two girls lingered about the outskirts of the Beaulieu Estate.

An exceedingly animated brunette, Daphne Greengrass, was chatting away, enthusiastically. Her lean, boyish figure and dark, dramatic attributes, stood in stark contrast to her enthusiastic personality and optimistic out look on life. Which made her even more endearing to all those who knew her. Her straight, black-as-ebony hair swept back into a ponytail, with a veil of solid, heavy bangs cut straight across her forehead, an inch above dramatic brown eyes.

English Rose, was the majestically, stunning horse she rode on. The mare's sweet temperament and gentle nature made the ride an even more enjoyable one. English Rose's flashy appearance was eye catching. The way her dark-chestnut coat caught the morning light was overwhelming. This was why Daphne had chosen her to go out for a morning ride with Catherine.

Catherine Lockhart, her best friend who rode along side her. Catherine was a fair effortless beauty; whose lithe, willowy frame and long, glistening blond hair were often the objests of envy on Daphne's part. Both girls were beautiful. However, Catherine was exquisite and otherworldly. The blonde's ethereal and graceful mystique, made girls like Daphne, who were above average when it came to attractiveness, seem ordinary and plain.

"Are you sure this isn't weird for you?" Daphne asks for the one-hundredth time. Catherine rolled her prominent, steely blue-eyes in mild irritation. "I mean you and Blaise were–"

"Goodness sakes, Daphne!" Catherine snapped, now simply annoyed with the endeavor. "No, I do _not_ mind. I care nothing for what Blaise chooses to do in his spare time, really, I **don't**. How many times do I have to say it?"

Daphne pressed her fine, glossy lips at Catherine's irate response. Catherine took a deep, settling breath to regain patience. She knew from experience that when dealing with her dark-haired friend, one needed to exercise patience. Because chances were, she would most likely ask her the same tiring question later on during a later conversation. Reflecting on Catherine's straightforward words, Daphne knit her bold brows. A look of doubt in her brown, wide-set eyes.

"Look," Catherine offered while once again rolling her prominent doll-like eyes, "do you honestly want my advice?"

"Yes," nodded Daphne. She urged her horse to ride up beside the flaxen-haired girl.

"Okay, then my advice to you is; try not to take any guy too seriously. Especially guys like Blaise Zanbini. You are still young. And believe me when I tell you, this in _not_ the part in your life were you'll meet the love of your life." Catherine chortled. "If that even exists, that is."

Daphne shook her head at her best friend's advice. Figures, Catherine was always the practical, level headed one. The blonde had no time for living with her head in the clouds romanticizing every aspect of her seemingly boring life. No, that task fell upon her shoulders. Catherine was the anti-Aphrodite. At least that is how she had come to think of her golden-haired friend.

This anti-Aphrodite had things that are more important on her mind. Things like complete global domination, resurrecting the dead and finally succeeding in gaining her father's approval. This in her opinion seemed to be the hardest to achieve out of all three.

"Oh Cate, don't sugar coat it on my account, please." Daphne pleaded, sarcastically.

Twisting her pretty face into an expression of mock sympathy, "Oh I'm sorry, Daphne. I was under the impression that we were having a _real_ conversation." She feigned, her slender white hand coming up to stroke Guinevere's head. Guinevere was the magnificent, high-spirited, mahogany-colored thoroughbred racehorse Catherine had been riding. "Not one of those hollow melodramatic moment in which I lie to you. Then follow it up by giving you severely misguided advice like; follow you heart, or true love never _dies_."

The young brunette scowled, "You are so romantically crippled."

"What? I'm only speaking the truth and you know it."

"Right,"

"Besides, my dearest friend. The fact that I prefer realism, over ill-fated fluff doesn't make me a romantically cripple." Catherine insisted, "It makes me sensible."

It wasn't that she did not believe in romance. It was just that she and Daphne both had very different definitions of what romance was. Daphne was a hopeless romantic, she fell hard and fast. There was no discretion in her advances. Often times she would make outrageous claims of being madly in love with one boy, and then spends countless amounts of hours pining after another the next day. It was a bit sad in Catherine's eyes. Because it made her friend seem desperate and needy. There were many instances in which the golden-haired, femme fatale had warned her friend against seeming to available. Nevertheless, regardless of whether she said something or not, Daphne would still do what she wanted.

Catherine on the other hand, took a more aloof approach on the matter. While Daphne had claimed to fall in love hundreds, upon thousands of times. Catherine was more selective. She struggled to find one boy she actually liked, much less love. That is not to say that she did not get any attention from the opposite sex. On the contrary, Catherine was one of the most desired witches at Hogwarts. However, just because she had many admires, that didn't mean she was going to try and date them all!

Catherine had a motto when it came to romantic entanglements. It was quite simple really. _'If a man knows everything about a woman, he loses interest in her.'_ It was something she had read in one of her mother's journals, and it served as a perfect guide-lining rule for all her many other rules. Being the "available" girl fell under knowing far too much. In order to make people want you, you had to do the exact opposite. You had to become unattainable. Even the most beautiful and elegant women, like her mother, maintained a certain aloofness to them. Especially when dealing with men. It was what made enigmatic woman, desirable and charming. Women who learn how to utilize these qualities with finesse were never view as just another pretty face.

Daphne may not have agreed with her methods of appeal. Even so, it was still the form in which she was raised. Too much honestly could potentially be harmful to a person. Besides, when it came to boys and romance. Being to forward and hopping from one chap to the next was horrifyingly improper and unladylike.

However, to each his own. She presumes. If her dark haired confidant chose to conduct herself in such a asinine and loose way then she would try her best not to judge her to harshly..

As if reading Catherine's mind, Daphne gave Catherine a pointed look before ignoring the subject all together. "Don't you think it's about time we start heading back to your estate?" She asked while steering English Rose down the path that lead back towards the distinguishably, lofty, stone mansion behind them. "Your guests will be arriving in an hours."


End file.
